Review of Morocco (1930) by Bernard A — 19 Jul 2010

The opening scene of MOROCCO shows a native Moroccan attempting to move his stubborn mule from the middle of a road. In the background is a formation of French Legionnaires steadily marching forward. The Moroccan knows his mule is blocking the road and desperately pulls it's reins in an attempt to move the animal to the side of the road - but the animal refuses to budge...

This little vignette best symbolizes the main drama to come - and especially describes the relationship between the two main characters, Mlle. Amy Jolly (Marlene Dietrich) and Legionnaire Tom Brown (Gary Cooper). Despite their strong attraction to one another - they each cannot fully commit themselves to the other. Something in their nature stubbornly holds them back...

Director Josef Von Sternberg made MOROCCO in Hollywood and was his follow-up to the very successful DER BLAUE ENGEL (THE BLUE ANGEL). In fact, the first part of MOROCCO seems so much like DER BLAUE ENGEL that you could mistake it for a remake. Both films star Marlene Dietrich. Her character Lola Lola in DER BLAUE ENGEL has a lot in common with Amy Jolly in MOROCCO. Both films showcase the singing of bawdy songs. Both take place in a nightclub with an older man falling for Dietrich's characters. The older gentleman in MOROCCO is Monsieur La Bessiere (Adolphe Menjou) - a wealthy frenchman trying to win Mlle. Jolly's heart...but she is at first ambivalent to his advances:

- "Every time a man has tried to help me, there has been a price. What's yours?".

- "My price?.......a smile.".

- "I don't think I have much more...".

MOROCCO begins to diverge from DER BLAUE ENGEL's story arc with Amy Jolly's developing relationship with the young and handsome legionnaire portrayed by Gary Cooper. Cooper seems a strange pick to play opposite the exotic Dietrich and his familiar "aw-shucks" performance nearly derails this film for me...but at the time, Cooper was Paramount's top star and that was all that really mattered. Cooper was handsome and sexy... and Dietrich was pretty and sexy. It's all about the hormones really...!!!

In classic films - Morocco seemed the ideal place to run away from one's past. Rick Blaine did it in CASABLANCA. So too Amy Jolly and Tom Brown in MOROCCO:

"When I crashed The Legion - I ditched the past", explains Tom on how he came to be in Morocco.

Amy Jolly looks at Tom - "There is a foreign legion of women too....but we have no uniforms, no flags, no medals".

I haven't seen very many of Joseph Von Sternberg's films - but the ones I have seen are beautifully filmed. His sets always seem so sumptuous. MOROCCO is no exception. It's as exotic looking as it's title suggests. I'm finding that the more I watch MOROCCO, the more I like it - which was my experience too with THE BLUE ANGEL. I thought MOROCCO has a terrific beginning and ending. I won't divulge exactly why I like the beginning so you can discover for yourself. I try not to read too much about a film prior to watching it - so an iconic moment in MOROCCO wasn't spoiled for me. It's the reason I enjoy watching pre-code films.

But I will leave you instead with this bit dialogue from the film:

Cooper's legionnaire character, who is supposed to be standing at attention, spots a prostitute from across the street. She silently gestures with her fingers how much she will cost for a good time. Cooper silently gestures back a counter-offer with his fingers. A sergeant nearby spots Cooper gesturing and yells at him for not standing at attention:

"What are you doing with your fingers?!?!".

"Nothing. Yet.".

8.5.

Ranking the Josef Von Sternberg films I have seen so far:

THE BLUE ANGEL - 10.

THE SCARLET EMPRESS - 9.

MOROCCO - 8.5.

SHANGHAI EXPRESS - 8.5.

MACAO - 7.

Need to see more!